The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization that empowers Canadian talent and advances opportunities for them to thrive in the screen industry. We deliver intensive programs in film, television, screen acting, music, and digital/immersive media. IN CHARACTER is a creative exercise that will see 5 scenes from our Writers' Lab realized twice by two different creative teams. Each scene will be shot over two half days in August and professionally finished by early September. Projects may be used on password-protected demo reels but are not intended for public distribution. This is a great opportunity to work with emerging Canadian talent in a collaborative environment!


Berend McKenzie (he/she/they interchangeably) is a Treaty 13 Toronto based, award-winning playwright, screenwriter, actor and published author. Berend is a 2021 inductee in the Warner Brothers. Discovery X Global Access Writers’ Academy, the 2024 Emerging 20 Mentorship Program, the 2024 BSO Writing Mentorship Program, the 2024 Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative and the has just been inducted into the CFC’s 2025 Norm Jewison Film Program (Writer). Berend’s full-length plays include, the outrageous, award-winning queer puppet show for adults, Get Off the Cross Mary! And their groundbreaking, one-person show, NGGRFG (would you say the name of this play?) Berend’s acting credits include Catwoman (Halle Berry), Life or Something Like It Angelina Jolie), Andromeda, Cold Squad and Connie and Carla.

An impatient and rushed Bakar has been asked to come back to Red Deer and help take care of his ailing, passive aggressive, yet sweet, Aunt Dorthy. Goaded into a conversation he doesn’t want to have; Bakar is startled to learn about his favourite Aunty Dorthy’s newly acquired transphobic views of Trans people competing in the Olympics.